1971 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand

1971 Kangaroo tour of New Zealand
Manager	R.A. (Dick) Dunn Ralph Stafford
Coach(es)	Harry Bath
Tour captain(s)	Graeme Langlands
Top point scorer(s)	Keith Campbell 17
Top try scorer(s)	Bob Fulton 5
Top test point scorer(s)	Keith Campbell 3
Top test try scorer(s)	Keith Campbell 1
Summary	P W D L
Total	03 01 00 02
Test match	01 00 00 01
Opponent	P W D L
New Zealand	1 0 0 1
Tour chronology
Previous tour	1969
Next tour	1980

The 1971 Kangaroo Tour of New Zealand was a mid-season tour of New Zealand by the Australia national rugby league team. The Australians played three matches on tour, including a test against the New Zealand national rugby league team. The tour began on 22 June and finished on 29 June. ^[1]

Leadership

Harry Bath was the coach of the squad, which he had been since 1968 in this particular tenure. St. George Dragons fullback Graeme Langlands was named captain for the tour ahead of 1969 New Zealand Tour leader John Sattler.

Touring squad

All but three members of the squad played in the New South Wales Rugby League premiership, those players being Wayne Bennett, Brian Fitzsimmons and Jim Murphy. Several tour members represented the Australia national rugby league team but only played in minor matches in New Zealand. ^[2]

Player	Club	Position(s)	Games	Tests	Tries	Goals	F/Goals	Points
Barry Beath	St. George	Prop	2
Wayne Bennett	Ipswich All Whites	Wing	2		1			3
Ray Branighan	Manly Warringah	Wing	3	1		1		2
Tony Branson	St. George	Five-eighth	1	1
Keith Campbell	Parramatta	Centre , Lock	2	1	1	7		17
Ron Costello	Canterbury-Bankstown	Second-row	2	1
Brian Fitzsimmons	Brothers Brisbane	Hooker	3	1
Bob Fulton	Manly Warringah	Centre	3	1	5			15
Bob Grant	South Sydney	Halfback	3	1
Graeme Langlands (c)	St. George	Fullback	1	1
Bob McCarthy	South Sydney	Second-row	3	1	2			6
Jim Murphy	Western Suburbs	Second-row	2
Bob O'Reilly	Parramatta	Prop	2	1	1			3
Tom Raudonikis	Western Suburbs	Halfback	2
Paul Sait	South Sydney	Centre	2	1
John Sattler	South Sydney	Prop	1	1
Geoff Starling	Balmain	Centre	2		1			3
Lionel Williamson	Newtown	Wing	3	1	1			2

Tour

The Australians played three matches on the tour, winning one match and losing two, including the test match.

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Tuesday 22 June

New Zealand XIII	14 – 35	Australia
Tries: Murray Eade, John Whittaker Goals: Don Ladner (4)	[3] [4]	Tries: Bob Fulton (3), Bob McCarthy (2), Wayne Bennett, Geoff Starling Goals: Keith Campbell (7)

Davies Park, Huntly Attendance: 3,572

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Test

Saturday 26 June

New Zealand	24 – 3	Australia
Tries: John Whittaker (2) Mocky Brereton Robert Orchard Goals: Henry Tatana (6/7)	[5] [6]	Tries: Keith Campbell Goals:

Carlaw Park, Auckland Attendance: 13,917 Referee: John Percival

New Zealand	Australia
FB 1 Mike McClennan RW 2 John Whittaker CE 3 Bernie Lowther CE 4 Roy Christian (c) LW 5 Mocky Brereton FE 6 Gary Woollard HB 7 Ken Stirling LK 13 Eddie Heatley SR 11 Garry Smith SR 12 Tony Kriletich PR 8 Henry Tatana HK 9 Colin O'Neil PR 10 Robert Orchard Coach: Lory Blanchard	FB 1 Graeme Langlands (c) RW 2 Ray Branighan CE 3 Bob Fulton CE 8 Paul Sait LW 5 Lionel Williamson FE 6 Tony Branson HB 7 Bob Grant LF 16 Keith Campbell SR 9 Bob McCarthy SR 10 Ron Costello PR 11 Bob O'Reilly HK 12 Brian Fitzsimmons PR 13 John Sattler Coach: Harry Bath

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Tuesday 29 June

Auckland	15 – 14	Australia
Tries: Murray Eade (2), Ray Williams Goals: Henry Tatana (3)	[7] [8] [9]	'Tries: Bob Fulton (2), Lionel Williamson, Bob O'Reilly Goals: Ray Branighan

Carlaw Park, Auckland Attendance: 11,000

References

1. "Kangaroos Tour 1971 - Rugby League Project". www.rugbyleagueproject.org. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
2. New South Wales Rugby Football League. "Australian Team for New Zealand". The Rugby League News. 52 (22 (June 19, 1971)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 31 December 2021– via Trove.
3. 1971 New Zealand XIII vs Australia – Rugby League Project
4. "Australian win in league tour". The Canberra Times . Canberra: National Library of Australia. 24 Jun 1971. p. 26. Retrieved 31 Dec 2021.
5. 1971 New Zealand vs Australia – Rugby League Project
6. New South Wales Rugby Football League. "Editorial - New Zealand's Triumph was complete". The Rugby League News. 52 (24 (July 3, 1971)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 31 December 2021– via Trove.
7. 1971 Auckland vs Australia – Rugby League Project
8. New South Wales Rugby Football League. "Auckland took the Honours". The Rugby League News. 52 (24 (July 3, 1971)). Sydney: N.S.W. Rugby Football League. Retrieved 31 December 2021– via Trove.
9. "Kangaroos lose bounce in hard N.Z. match". The Canberra Times . Canberra: National Library of Australia. 30 Jun 1971. p. 32. Retrieved 31 Dec 2021.

• Middleton, David (1989). Rugby League Annual. Lester-Townsend Publishing, Sydney. p. 166. ISBN   0-949853-19-4.